Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Justin Braun returns to SAP Center on Saturday to play the San Jose Sharks, the team that drafted him in 2007

Share this:

San Jose Sharks’ Justin Braun (61) celebrates his goal with teammate Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames Saturday, March 24, 2018, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

SAN JOSE — Justin Braun sensed his future with the Sharks might be in doubt after the team signed Erik Karlsson to the richest deal in team history.

Sure enough, a day after the Sharks and Karlsson agreed to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension on June 17, Braun was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second-round selection (41st overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in 2020.

Braun is in the final season of a five-year, $19 million deal he signed in Sept. 2014 that carries an average annual value of $3.8 million. That was too rich for the Sharks, who, at the time, faced a salary cap crunch and still had to sign then-restricted free agents Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc.

Saturday, Braun will play his first game at SAP Center as a visitor Saturday and receive a short recognition by the Sharks as the Flyers look for their fifth straight win.

“I talked to a couple other guys. We kind of figured that someone had to go,” Braun said Saturday morning about the sequence of events that led to the trade. “It ended up being me. It’s been a great situation here. I’ve been treated great.”

Of all the roster changes the Sharks went through from last season to this season, perhaps Braun’s departure is the most under-appreciated.

Braun, 32, was one of the team’s most reliable defensemen over his 607 NHL games in teal. Although his plus-minus rating in 2018-19 dipped to a career-worst minus-14, he averaged 20 minutes and 18 seconds of ice time per game.

For years, Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic formed the Sharks’ top shutdown pair, regularly skating against the top lines of opposing teams.

SEASON PASS DIGITAL OFFER

If you have not already, we strongly encourage you to sign up for a digital subscription, which gives you access to all content on the Mercury News and East Bay Times websites. With your support, we can continue bringing these stories — and much more — to your screens. Here’s where to sign up for the season pass: Mercury News, East Bay Times.

Braun, now paired with Travis Sanheim, enters Saturday with seven assists in 37 games, with two assists coming in the Flyers’ 5-1 win over the New York Rangers on Dec. 23. He has a plus-minus rating of -10, although he’s been a +4 over his last four games — all Philadelphia wins — before Saturday.

“He’s been playing well for us,” Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said of Braun. “Without a doubt, he’s dedicated to defense first, which is a good thing. He’s playing with Travis, who is a great skater. Loves to join the attack, either leading it or passing it and joining it. With that, you need a stay-at-home type D and that’s what we have in Justin.

“Plays the game the right way. Offensively, wouldn’t say real gifted. But he throws pucks at the net, he knows the right play to make. He’s got the team-first attitude, which was exactly what we’re looking for.”

The Sharks have not had a third right-shot defensemen take the place of Braun full-time. Saturday, they are expected to dress righties Karlsson and Brent Burns and lefties Vlasic, Brenden Dillon, Radim Simek and Mario Ferraro. Simek and Ferraro made up the Sharks’ third defense pair in Friday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

Braun also had one of the most easy-going personalities inside the Sharks’ dressing room, which, for better or worse, underwent changes in the offseason with the departures of Joe Pavelski, Joonas Donskoi, Gus Nyquist and Micheal Haley.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 16: San Jose Sharks’ Justin Braun (61) takes a shot against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of Game 4 of their NHL first round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Braun has come as advertised to the Flyers: smart, largely dependable in his own zone and popular with his teammates.

“It’s a little different when they don’t know you as well,” Braun said of his sense of humor. “Maybe your sarcasm is lost a little bit. You don’t really want to change too much about yourself.”

“He’s a defenseman that plays defense first,” Flyers forward Jake Voracek said. “It’s really hard to any get pucks by him in practice because of that stupid stick.”

Philadelphia is playing the opener of a six-game road trip and San Jose is wrapping up a brutal seven-game homestand that so far has seen them go 1-4-1.

“Little weird,” Braun said of returning. “I’ve been kind of looking forward to this and dreading it at the same time.”

Braun, a seventh round pick by the Sharks in 2007, has followed his former from afar.

“I keep up to date and text a few of them here and there,” Braun said. “It’s been kind of a tough go for them so far this season. They’ve got the guys to do it, they just have to put it together. Hopefully it’s not tonight they put it together, but after, it’s fine.”

Curtis Pashelka is the San Jose Sharks reporter for the Bay Area News Group. Prior to covering the Sharks, Curtis served as the high school sports editor for the East Bay. He also worked as a general assignment reporter covering motorsports, golf and college basketball, and as a backup writer on the A's, Giants and Warriors. He started at the organization in 2000 and spent close to eight years covering high school sports.